COPYRIGHT NOTICE
.COPYRGT. Copyright 1999, Bruce Carusillo & Thomas Devito. All rights reserved.
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owners have no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the USPTO patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to multi-task golf tool that supports a golf club and smoking article simultaneously and which can be used to repair ball marks and divots and remove foreign particles from the face of a golf club and the cleats of golf shoes.
2. Description of Prior Art
In the past, it was common for golfers to lay their smoking article (i.e. cigar, cigarette, pipe, etc.) on the turf of a golf course while playing. However, placing the smoking article on the turf is no longer a desirable or safe option due to problems associated with wet grass, pesticides and fertilizers. Several prior art devices have been developed in attempt to address these problems. However, golfers do not want to be burdened with carrying and storing a plurality of pieces of equipment wherein each piece of equipment or tool is dedicated to just one task. What is needed is a golf tool that addresses the issue of supporting a smoking article but is also configured to perform other tasks as well, i.e. cleaning the faces of golf clubs, repairing ball marks or divots, supporting a golf club when not in use, and cleaning golf shoes cleats. It is further desired that the golf tool allow a golfer to rest his or her club and smoking article on the golf tool simultaneously thereby permitting the golfer to do other things, i.e. adjust shoe laces, clean golf balls, mark score cards, etc.
By way of example, the prior art discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,831 a golf tool that includes a ball mark repair tool for repairing ball marks in turf and a cigar support coupled to the ball mark repair tool for supporting a cigar such that neither end of the cigar is in contact with the turf. However, this device cannot also support a golf club simultaneously with the cigar.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,120 discloses a golf tool for golf equipment which combines various functions and features such as an oval ring for cleaning golf shoe cleats, a golf cleat tightener, a ball mark repair device, and a golf club shaft rest in a single unit. However, this device cannot support a smoking article such as a cigar, cigarette or pipe.
The December 1998 issue of Golf Magazine discloses a device referred to as the "Churchill Greenskeeper". This is a multi-task device that can support a cigar or a golf club, but not both simultaneously.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,371 discloses a golf aid with a ball mark repair tool, a means of allowing the attachment of a golfing glove, and structure for propping a grip of a golf club above the ground.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,273,329 discloses a flag pin attachment including a ball distance measuring line and turf repair tool.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,063,731 discloses a golf tool with a distance estimating facility which in turn provides automatic selection of a golf club, a ball mark repair tool and a cigarette holder. However, this device uses a triangular shaped opening wherein the cigarette is forcibly positioned between two perimetrical edges of the opening. Thus, it is very easy for the cigarette to become damaged. Furthermore, the cigarette, if not forcibly positioned as mentioned above, will most likely fall out of the opening since it would be extremely difficult for the cigarette to remain balanced on the perimetrical edge of the opening. Additionally, this device cannot support a larger smoking article such as a cigar or pipe.
In this respect, the golf tool of the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides a multi-task golf tool that can be:
1) inserted into the ground and which can support a smoking article, such as a cigar, pipe, or cigarette, and a portion of a golf club simultaneously without damaging the smoking article but yet, significantly decreasing the probability of the smoking article from becoming dislodged and falling on the turf; PA1 2) used to repair ball marks or divots; PA1 3) used to clean the grooved golf club faces; and PA1 4) used to clean golf shoe cleats. PA1 (a) a body portion having a channel extending therethrough and sized for receiving a portion of a golf club, the body portion further including a pair of walls, each wall being on a respective side of the channel and having a distal end, each wall having a cut-out in the distal end thereof which is sized for receiving a portion of a smoking article, each of the cut-outs having a perimetrical edge, the cut-outs being positioned directly opposite one another such that when a portion of a golf club is positioned within the channel and a smoking article is positioned within the cut-outs, the smoking article is transverse to the golf club; PA1 (b) a stem portion attached to the body portion, the stem portion having a distal end having a plurality of tines attached thereto; PA1 (c) a resilient member having a first end attached to the perimetrical edge and being expandable within one of the cut-outs and a second end for contacting a smoking article; and PA1 (d) a clip attached to the stem so as to allow the golf tool to be removably attached to other objects.